Press Releases

OBSERVE APRIL 16th “NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAY” BY COMPLETING ADVANCE DIRECTIVES AND FILING THEM IN NEVADA’S LIVING WILL LOCKBOX

Posted Date: 4/15/2009

Living Will and Other Advance Directives are Invaluable in End-of-Life and Critical Care Decision Making

(Carson City, NV; April 15, 2009) - Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller is encouraging Nevadans to ensure that they have up-to-date advance health care directives such as living wills, and that those documents are filed with Nevada’s no-cost Living Will Lockbox (www.livingwilllockbox.com). The Living Will Lockbox is the best way to securely store advance health care directives while still having those important documents readily available to health care providers at times of crisis.

“We all deserve to have our end-of-life wishes respected in terms of the type, level, and extent of care we want at critical times, “said Secretary of State Ross Miller, whose office administrates Nevada’s Living Will Lockbox. “It’s through advance care planning like living wills that we can focus on patient care that’s based on the patient’s expressed wishes.”

“Healthcare and legal professionals are aware of the program and understand its value, and we have worked closely with the Nevada Center for Ethics and Health Policy, The City of Las Vegas Senior Law Project, and our Nevada AARP. We want the general public to see that value of this service, and I encourage them to ask their trusted family doctor or attorney about the value of advance care directives. And once they have those documents, or if they already have them, we want them to take advantage of the no-cost Living Will Lockbox at www.livingwilllockbox.com.”

The Living Will Lockbox was launched in March, 2008, and since that time, nearly 2,000 Nevadans have registered their advanced directives in the lockbox. Use of the Living Will Lockbox is free to all Nevadans and registering, either as an individual or as a preferred provider of health care, is very simple. By visiting www.livingwilllockbox.com, Nevadans can download the registration forms and send the completed forms and documents to be filed with the Living Will Lockbox to the Nevada Secretary of State. Hospitals, hospices and other care giving institutions can also register online in order to immediately access the directives of their patients.

Once registered, individuals will receive a wallet size card with their password for accessing their advance directives. Changes to the documents may be made at any time through a simple procedure similar to the registration process. For more information or questions regarding the Living Will Lockbox, visit www.livingwilllockbox.com or call (775) 684-5708.

# # # (Editors/Producers/Reporters: Secretary of State Miller will be working in the Carson City office this week , and will be available for interviews in Reno and Carson City, or by telephone for Southern Nevada media. Other possible interviewees for this story, who have worked closely with this office on the Living Will Lockbox are: